Studying at volunteering organisations across the world and working on helping wild animals, read Domna’s incredible experiences through studying Zoology at the University of Salford.
Why did you choose to study your course at Salford?
The University of Salford provides a lot of destinations for students to choose from. Their activities and work they do is mostly rehabilitation and conservation.
Tell us a bit about your placement?
The first destination was a volunteering organisation that had two programmes offered. Wildlife and elephant refuges were the options and they gave the opportunity to volunteers to feed and observe wild animals from up close. It’s an experience that provides the students with leadership skills, since the volunteers after the second week of work, they become team leaders on different stations. They are responsible for making sure that the feeding and cleaning activities have been completed throughout the day. Social and teamwork skills are practised, and students interact with a variety of new interns every week, with whom they work with to finish daily tasks.
The second destination was Critter Care Wildlife Society, and I had considered it as a challenge before I got there. I had understood the fact that I would be there for six months straight, and so I had prepared myself for the good, the bad and the ugly. Canada was more of an internship, where students are considered the parents of the animals they are allocated to. They must make sure they give medicine every day either by staff members or the interns themselves. Feeding and cleaning was the students’ responsibility, and by the end of the day staff members would check up on them to make sure everything was maintained clean. More responsibility was given in this placement because, including the animals we had to care for, there were daily tasks that had to be done to maintain the centre clean and tidy.
What support is available to you throughout your studies?
The Turing Grant is really good support. It is time consuming to complete, but it’s worth effort, since it grants money to students based on the time they are away and how far the placement destination is from the United Kingdom. If there are students whose families have low income, there are also grants that cover flight tickets.
Dr. Benvenuto is an amazing professor and she supported us fully. She was not just there to explain the university work and teach us how to complete the assignments but also listened to any issues we had with placement and our everyday life. She checked up on us throughout the year and did extra meetings with students asking or support with the work.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of studying your course and placements?
I’d advise to read all the information about where they apply and fully understand their responsibilities. I’d also say that you have to take time for yourself, no matter what. This is a year that should show you how your future job will be and you choose if you like it. It’s an experience that you should have good memories of, so make the most of it and look after yourself.
I will always recommend an abroad placement. As an international student living abroad for almost 5 years, I have seen myself grow on a level I would never have expected. You detach from your family for a while so you learn to be independent and push yourself out of you comfort zone. Pushing yourself to travel and live unbelievable experiences can teach you so much.
Where do you want your degree to take you?
Throughout the years of studying Zoology and getting the professional experience, I have found my dream job. I knew I wanted to work with animals since I was a kid, and then I started discovery the variety of options I had, and I’ve now discovered the profession I’m most excited to get into. I’d like to be a research assistant and, in the future, grow as an actual animal behaviour research publisher. The picture is quite clear on where I am heading after I graduate – I will possibly work my way towards a Masters or even a PhD is possible.
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